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It's been well over a month since NFL free agency began, yet defensive end Andre Carter isn't any closer to finding out whether his immediate future will be with the New England Patriots.

"They kind of just said, 'Thanks for everything,' at the end of the year and I haven't heard from them since," Carter told CSNNE.com on Tuesday. "But I'm optimistic everything works out."

Carter played 14 games for the Patriots in 2011, before a quadriceps tear in the Week 14 matchup with Denver ended his season prematurely. At the time, he had a team-leading 10 sacks.

The 32-year-old said he's been rehabbing two to three hours per day six days a week in hopes of landing another gig with New England, according to the report.

"I could not have enjoyed that season any more than I did," Carter said. "I was working with guys who just love the game of football, the Patriots organization does things the right way, the city was awesome — people wanted to know the players whether they were stars or not. It was such an amazing experience I'd love to experience it again.

"It is a goal to win it all and I understand the journey starts in the offseason. Hopefully I get a chance to try again."